The present embodiments relate to three-dimensional (3D) printing of anatomic structure from medical imaging.
3D printing prints a three-dimensional object from a 3D model primarily through additive processes in which successive layers of material are laid down under computer control. While 3D printing is able to print any 3D object, printing 3D anatomical structure is of significant interest to patients, physicians and surgeons. Clinically, surgeons may use the printed models for planning surgery. Parents-to-be may enjoy a 3D model of their fetus.
The 3D anatomical model may be derived from a 3D medical scan, such as a scan using computed tomography, magnetic resonance, or ultrasound. The 3D medical image scan is provided to a service, which extracts the anatomical model from the 3D scan. A person manually extracts the anatomical model from the medical scan. The extracted model is commonly saved in a 3D mesh format. Not every mesh may be directly printed by a 3D printer. For example, directly printing a 3D ball is difficult. A supporting base should be designed and used in combination with the 3D ball. For other structures (e.g., a pyramid), the mesh needs to be oriented appropriate for 3D printing (e.g., the pyramid is oriented to be printed from the base to peak). Accordingly, the person manually manipulates the 3D mesh so that the 3D mesh is appropriate for 3D printing. 3D printing is then used to print the anatomy. Current image-to-3D-print is a mostly time consuming and expert requiring manual process, so may not be deployed for general use.